GTX 970 Max-Q vs R9 280X
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 970 Max-Q | R9 280X | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 959 | 1,434 | -33.1% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 26 | 29 | -10.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 14 | 16 | -12.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 7 | 8 | -12.5% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 2.7 | 4.1 | -33.2% |
| VRAM | 4 GB GDDR5 | 3 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 336 | -33.3% |
| TDP (W) | 65 | 250 | — |
- R9 280X averages 16 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 13% faster.
- GTX 970 Max-Q draws less power (65W vs 250W).
Verdict: GTX 970 Max-Q or R9 280X?
GTX 970 Max-Q advantages
- Video memory (+25%)
- Power efficiency (+74%)
R9 280X advantages
- 1440p gaming (+13%)
- 4K gaming (+13%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+33%)
- Memory bandwidth (+33%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 970 Max-Q if you play the latest titles at high textures or do GPU-accelerated work.
- Choose the R9 280X if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the GTX 970 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
GTX 970 Max-Q vs R9 280X: which should you choose?
GTX 970 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2014, Maxwell) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 14 fps at 1440p.
R9 280X — AMD desktop graphics card (2013, GCN 1.0) with 3 GB of GDDR5, averaging 16 fps at 1440p; launched at $299.
GTX 970 Max-Q vs R9 280X: R9 280X is faster for gaming. R9 280X averages 16 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 13% faster. GTX 970 Max-Q draws less power (65W vs 250W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the R9 280X averages 16 fps against 14. At 4K (7 vs 8 fps) VRAM (4GB vs 3GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 65 W versus 250 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 970 Max-Q better than the R9 280X?
R9 280X takes the overall edge, though GTX 970 Max-Q wins in specific areas worth weighing. R9 280X averages 16 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 13% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 970 Max-Q and the R9 280X?
R9 280X averages 16 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 13% faster. GTX 970 Max-Q draws less power (65W vs 250W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 970 Max-Q if you play the latest titles at high textures or do GPU-accelerated work. Choose the R9 280X if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.